Tesco’s attempt to squash Pret in the sandwich market has ended with a retreat by Britain’s biggest supermarket after it admitted customers were not interested.
The grocer is planning to shut its two only “Food-to-Go” stores in London which were opened to attract busy commuters.
The supermarket first opened a small store on Philpot Lane, within walking distance from the City’s Walkie Talkie skyscraper, in September 2014 with much fanfare.
It followed it up with a smaller store on Villiers Lane, near Charing Cross train station, last March.
But less than a year after opening its second shop Tesco is beating a hasty retreat.
A spokesman confirmed that the two stores would close their doors on 4 March.
The 1,000 sq ft store – one of the smallest shops in Tesco’s vast UK estate, was aimed at City workers with 100 different sandwich options, soups and ready meals.
The British sandwich market is worth £4.4bn as more people buy their lunch, rather than making it at home.
The store was also designed to be “more upmarket” and attempted to copy Pret’s café culture with “exposed brick and softer lighting”, the supermarket said at the time.
Tesco's store in Philpot Lane was one of only two 'Food to Go' stores, aimed at competing with Pret A Manger
Retail sources said that the shops’ prime locations and their extortionate rents had made the sites unprofitable.
Last March Tesco justified the opening of its second food-to-go store after receiving positive feedback from “time conscious office workers”.
The first store was opened with a tie-up with Fred’s while the second branch opened Burrito Kitchen.
“We’re always looking for opportunities to improve our convenience offering in London which is why we trialled two food to go concept stores”, a spokesman said.
“ As part of the trial, our customers told us they prefer the wider range of products offered in our Express and Metro stores.”“Closing these stores was a difficult decision and we will of course do everything we can to find alternative roles within Tesco for colleagues affected by this decision.”
Tesco said that it would be consulting with the 22 staff employed at the branches to find them alternative roles within the business.
